Mastercard Supports Today’s Gig and Changing Workforce

Launches the Inclusive Futures Project;Partners
with Digital Companies for Gig and On-Demand Workers

January 24, 2018 10:19 PM Eastern Standard Time

PURCHASE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mastercard today announced the Inclusive Futures Project, a new program
committed to providing products and services specifically aimed at gig
and next-gen workers.

The program, announced at the U.S. Conference of Mayors by Mastercard
North America President Craig Vosburg, leverages core Mastercard
strengths to immediately address the challenges of workers who juggle
multiple jobs, variable paychecks and inconsistent benefits. One-third
of the U.S. workforce is in this category, often lacking the tools to
navigate the traditional financial marketplace.

“Mastercard is in a great position to respond to the changes we’re
seeing in our economy – to use our technology infrastructure, digital
payments expertise and data and insights to introduce meaningful
solutions that help our changing workforce prosper and our cities
continue to flourish, all benefiting from a connected economy,” said
Vosburg.

The Inclusive Futures Project will address challenges in three key
areas: digital solutions to manage finances and speed payments; government
services for greater innovation and efficiency; and smart cities
for a digitally inclusive future.

Digital Solutions Commitment: Mastercard and Care.com,
the world’s leading online service for finding and managing family
care, will make it easier for caregivers on Care.com to manage
variable cash flows and personal finances by providing them with
real-time payments for services rendered along with budget management
tools.

Government Services Commitment: Mastercard and Square
will join forces and engage, to start, with municipalities in New
Orleans and Cleveland to create educational workshops to provide
support to entrepreneurs and small business owners, with a specific
focus on financial literacy and access. By leaning into existing
digital solutions and partnerships, the two companies will help local
businesses expand with digital payments.

“Small businesses
are the growth engine of the economy, and the economy is better when
everyone has access,” said Mary Kay Bowman, Head of Payments, Square.
“Along with Mastercard, we want to learn about improving economic
empowerment in cities across the country. It’s all part of our mission
to help sellers of all sizes start, run, and grow their businesses.”

Working
with government and private partners, Mastercard helps to ensure
millions of Americans safely and reliably receive government payments,
including social security and veterans’ benefits, through Direct
Express.

Smart Cities Commitment: Through a public-private sector
program called City
Possible, Mastercard will work with cities and corporate partners
around the world co-developing, scaling and commercializing solutions
that help drive more inclusive and sustainable urban economies.

In
Chicago,
Mastercard worked with City Tech and other partners to pilot
innovative demand management services during busy transit periods. The
pilot found that nearly 18 percent of commuters would alter their
travel plans, for the right incentive, to avoid congestion before
evening baseball games. In New
York, Mastercard data insights helped NYU researchers study
increased commercial activity around bike sharing and free public WiFi
service.

Details of Mastercard’s expanding inclusion strategy in the U.S. can be
found here
in our white paper, The Inclusive Futures Project: On the Front Lines of
Inclusive Growth in the U.S.

About Mastercard

Mastercard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com,
is a technology company in the global payments industry. We operate the
world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers,
financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more
than 210 countries and territories. Mastercard products and solutions
make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running
a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more
efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MastercardNews,
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